Suction cleaner with pneumatic filter cleaner



Filed. April-26, 1943 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1, 1948. D. G. SMELLIE 2,442,667

SUCTION CLEANER WITH PNEUMATIC FILTER CLEANER IN VEN TOR.

1 Donald .Smellie June 1, 1948. l o. G. SMELLIE 2,442,667

SUCTION CLEANER WITH PNEUMATIC FILTER CLEANER Filed April 26, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Donald 6'. Jmelh'e rma Patented June 1, 1948 Donald G. Smellie; Canton, Ohio; assignor toLTlie Hoover Company. North Canton, Ohio, a corporationof Ohio Application April 2c, 1943. semi N. 484,5l6

Claims- (01. 183-37) The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to a suction cleaner incorporating automatic filtercleaning mechanism. More specifically, the invention comprises a suction cleaner of the type which has one or more dirt separators which function to remove the collected foreign material from the carrying air stream, in combination with automatically actuated means which removethe dirt from the dirt collector in order to prevent the building up of a back pressure in the cleaner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved'suctio'n cleaner. another object of the invention to provide anew and improved suction cleaner incorporating filtercleaning means. A further object of the invention is to provide-a suction cleaner intwhich a dirt separator is automatically cleaned by new. and novel means. Still another. object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which air-filtering means are provided with cleaning mechanism which is actuated byan improved means. A further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner of the type incorporating an initial dirt separator, suction-creating means, a final dirt separator, incombi'nation with a cleaning nozzle for the final separator, which is connected to the initial separator and'which is actuated by a new and novel drive mechanism. These and other more. specific objectswill appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon consideraing in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed and in which the same reference'character refers to the same parts in the variousviews;

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a suction cleaner constructedinaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an-enlargedpartial section: through the nozzle-actuating mechanism-constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a transversehorizontal "section upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2'sh0wingthe filter-cleaning-nozzle-actuatin me hanism;

In the operation of the'usual common and'well known type of suction cleaners the dirt-laden air stream is filteredby a dust'loagwhich functions to retain the collected foreign material and to permit the carrying air to escape into the ambient atmosphere. After'a certain'amount'of foreign material has collected within the has, however,

the resistance to the passage of air, known as It is' back pressure, increases toapoint where the:flow

of air through'the machine is materially reduced and the cleaner emciency is adversely affected. In such machines the bag must then be moved and emptied in order that the machineibe returned.

to its initial operatingefficiency;

Suction cleaners have been designed; incorporating mechanical. dirt' separators making use'iof the centrifugalv princlplexto" separate the "collected foreign material from .the. carryingair stream.

Such machines; inorder "to be of greatest .e'fliciency, shouldbeuprovided with. a. final filter as taught'in the patent. to;BibI12,24'7.,4l2. Inthe Bible constructiomand in similar. cleaners, means must beprovided totclean the fihaffilter .topree ventits back pressurefro'm increaslngiunduly as i in the case of the dust bag in the ordinary type of machine. ,In the sucti'onlcleaner .constructed in, accordance with the 1 present: invention"v this final filter is cleaned automatically by :a; filter-;

cleaning nozzle whichris'z-interjiorly connected to the initial 'separator;andais automatically actuated by a novel mechanismzin the. operationrof the machine itself. This novel actuating mecha nismcan also beusedin a machine having but a single filter whichmust becleaned.

Referring again to the drawings, a suction cleaner isdisclosed which'is .seen to comprise a large cylindrical casing I provided with a centrally apertured .and flanged bottom plate 2, and;

with a top plate '3. Casing I seats upon a supporting base 4 which houses a dirt pan or collector 5 sealed to the bottom platel.

.An inner central cylindrical casing .l is divided by a transverse wall 8into a-lower whirl chamber 9 and into an upperfan chamber II. The latter chamber is itself divided into first and, second stages by astationarymulti-vaned deflector 12 formed with a central aperture. [3 which func-' tions asthe inlet port between the two stages.

A-downwardly extending. inlet [4 extends into the vortical whirl chamber B below the mid-por tion thereof and forms the inlet connection between the whirl chamberand. the fan chamber.

A vertical rod 1.6 iscarried by spidersl'lwithini inlet passageway 14 .andidetachably supports .a"

transversely'extending plate l8 nearits lower end and immediately above the dirt pan .5 and also supports a strainer. [9 immediately below the lower spider l1; Plate! is of a diameter slightly less than that of the whirl chamber 9 and accordingly there is provided'a peripheral circular opening around theplate .Hl. Whirl chambers is itself formed with an inlet chamber, indicated.

at'zl towhichconnectsan inlet portZZ-adapted ing filter chamber 34 defined by a cylindrical wall 36 of suitable air-filtering material which is se-' cured at its lower edge to a flanged bottom plate 31 seating on the exterior of the cylindrical cas-' ing 1 in sealed relationship, and at its top by a depending flange 38 secured to the top wall 3 of easing The enclosing space within the main casing and around the filter chamber 34 is called the discharge chamber and is indicated by the reference character 39. The latter chamber is connected to the atmospherethrough the discharge port 4| in thecasing l, which port incidentally is adaptedto seat dusting tools in the manner of inlet port 22 should it be desired to use the machine as a blower rather than as a suction tool.

The cleaner motor 26 is provided with electric current over suitable incoming power leads 42 which pass through the casing and through a sealing bushing 43 in plate 31ron their way to the motor 26 which,- as is seen in Figurel, is positioned in the final filter'chamber 34. As in the usual cleaner, a manually operable switch 44 is provided by which the operator can control the flow of current and so the operation of the machine. l

The machine which has been heretofore described comprises an operative suction cleaner and has but one shortcoming, to-wit, no means have been provided to clean the final filter 36 which functions to remove from the air passing through the cleaner'anyforeign material which has escaped from the initial separator or whirl chamber 9. The means and structure which accomplishes this filter-cleaning action will now be described.

A filter-cleaning nozzle 46 is positioned adjacent and in contact with the inside of the final filter 36 being of a length substantially equal to the height of that element. Nozzle 46 is provided with an inlet opening through which cleaning air is adapted to be drawn and is rotatably supported by a conduit seat 41 which encircles the upwardly extending portion of the motor shaft 3|, being supported thereon by a sealed bearing 48. Seat 41 is also supported by a bearing 49 carried by the upwardly facing mouth of a second conduit seat which is fixedly mounted on the top of the motor casing and extends therefrom downwardly along the side of that casing and also the fan chamber H to connect interiorly to the whirl chamber 9 at its inlet chamber 2|. The relationship is such that the reduced pressure or suction present within the whirl chamber 'at the inlet 2| will also be present within the filter-cleaning nozzle 46.

As the filter-cleaning nozzle 46 is relatively narrow at its mouth it is necessary to move the nozzle over the filter in order to clean the entire surface of the latter. This is accomplished by means of a novel drive mechanism located just below the top wall 3 of the cleaner, and which is itself driven by the motor shaft 3|. It is not feasible to drive the filter-cleaning nozzle 46 at .4 the speed of rotation of the motor shaft 3| for obvious reasons and, accordingly it is necessary to provide means which will reduce the speed of nozzle travel. In the present invention this is accomplished by providing at the upper end of the motor shaft 3| a planetary gear reduction mechanism. A. sun pinion 56 is carried directly by the motor shaft adjacent an internally threaded gear 51 carried by a shouldered cup element 58 secured to the casing wall 3. Cup member 58 carries a bearing 6| at its center concentrically ofmotor shaft 3| which bearing rotatably supports a frame 62 comprising a cup-shaped portion enclosing the motor shaft 3| in spaced relationship an d a plate surface extending perpendicular to' the motor shaft 3| and immediately below gears 56 and 51. Frame 62 is also centered "and rotatably positioned relative to the motor shaft 3| by a second bearing 63 which is positioned within its cup-shaped portion. Frame 62 carries a planet gear or pinion 64 which meshes with both the sun pinion 56 and the internal gear 5! and, in the rotation of the motor shaft 3|,

- revolves at reduced speed about the motor shaft.

Frame 62 carries below the bearing 6| a grooved cam 66 which rotates with the frame as it rotates with the revolution of the planet pinion 64. The entire planetary. gear construction and cam is enclosed within a rotatable protecting housing 61. This housing also serves as a base for a spring 68 which exerts a force upon the top of conduit seat 41 to maintain it in proper seating relationship with its supporting bearing 49.

The rotation of the cam 66 is translated into a slowzstep-by-step movement of the nozzle 45 by means of an actuating lever II which is pivoted at 12 upon a supporting base 13 carried by the upper end of the nozzle 46. Actuating lever 1| carries a cam follower 14 which rides the rotating cam 66 being held in contact therewith by the action of a coil spring 16 located at the pivot pin 72 and which exerts a force between an abutment TI on that support and the adjacent arm H.

Actuating'lever II is U-shaped in section, as is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and at its nozzle end beyond its pivotal axis 12 carries, by means of a second pivot pin I8, a trailing ratchet foot 19 which contacts at its roughened or serrated base a fixed tracked surface formed by the inner surface of filter-supporting flange 38. A second coil spring BI is carried by the lever H at the pivot E8 of the ratchet foot 19 and exerts a force between an abutment 82 on lever H and the trailing foot to force the latter into contact with the stationary surface or track 38.

As the outer end of the actuating lever 1| is carried by the support 13 fixed to the nozzle 46 it is clear that any movement of the lever H at its pivot point will be accompanied by movement of the rotatably mounted nozzle 46. The pivotal movement of the inner end of actuating lever 1| under intermittent forces received from the eccentric cam 66 effects the advancement of the outer end of the lever arm H and accordingly of the nozzle 46 in the following manner.

The cam follower 14, rigid with the actuating lever H, is movable between the full line and the dotted line positions illustrated in Figure 3. With the follower moved outwardly from the motor shaft, the full line position illustrated in Figure 3, the lever 1| extends substantially radially with respect to the motor shaft and the encircling flange 38. Upon the movement of the follower 14 radially inwardly towards the motor shaft to the dotted line position illustrated in Figure 3,

anaconthe outer end of thelever 'H- with the foot 19 will advance clockwise; asvi'ewed in Figure As the camcontinuesits rotation and the-follower"; is advanced outwardly again, the outer end of the lever H carrying the'ratchet foot H! can conceivably do one of two things. it can returnlto its form-er position of radial align-'- ment without movement of the nozzle or, using the contact of the trailing ratchet foot 19 with the encircling flange or track 38 as a support, the lever 1| at its pivotal axis 12 can'be advanced clockwise. Actually this last is what happens for the frictional resistance of the contact of the ratchet foot 19 with flange 38 is such that when the lever arm H attempts to move in a counterclockwise direction about its pivotal axis 12" the force exerted by the coil spring 8'! upon the trailing ratchet foot 19 is sufii'cientto hold thelatter in contact with the flange 38 and the result of the actuating force upon the lever TI is merely to advance in clockwise direction-the lever at its pivot point P2. As the lever at its pivot point 72 is. rigidly connected to the supporting base 13 which in turn is rigid with the; nozzle it is clear that this slight advance of the lever arm in a clockwise direction has been accompanied by a corresponding advance of the filter-cleaning nozzle.

The operation ofthemachine is believed to be clear from the foregoing, but in summarizing it can be said that in normal operation cleaning air with any collected foreign material is drawn through the cleaning nozzle 24, the dusting tool hose 23 and enters the initial dirt separator or whirl chamber 9 via the inlet port 22. The action of the rotating air stream in the vortical whirl chamber is such that centrifugal force throws the collected foreign material radially outward and it drops downwardly into the dirt container or pan 5. The cleaned air passes upwardly through the inlet l4 into the fan chamber l I under the action of the suction-creating fans 28 and 29. The air is exhausted from the fan cham ber into the final filter chamber 34 and passes outwardly through the final filter 35 into the exhaust r discharge chamber 39 and from there into the surrounding atmosphere via the exhaust port 4 I The rotation of the motor in driving the fan efifects the actuation of the filter-cleaning nozzle 46 as described above and as that nozzle moves around the interior surface of the filter 36 it removes therefrom the collected foreign material which has escaped from the initial separator 9. During the nozzle movement a reversed air stream is drawn from the discharge chamber 39, through the filter 36, and into the nozzle 46 under the action of the suction in the conduit 5| which connects directly to the whirl chamber 9 at its inlet chamber 2!. As a result of this cooperation it is never necessary for the user to clean the final filter 36 as all foreign material is collected within the dirt pan 5 which can be cleaned when necessary by withdrawing it transversely from its base 4, or if preferred, the main casing I can be removed from the base 4 to permit of the upward displacement of the container 5.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a motor to drive said means, and an airp-ermeable filter to filter continuously the dirt-laden air passing through the cleaner under the action of said suction-creating means; a filter-cleaning nozzle mounted for movement relative to and in contact with the dirt-collecting surface of said Either 6" filter to'maintain the bachpressure on said suction creatingmeans substantially constant, aircondu'ctirig means connecting said nozzle to said suction-creating means to draw a cleaning air stream theretlirou'gh, and means connecting said filter-cleaning nozzleto said motor to actuate said cleaner, suction-creating means, a motor to drive said means, and an air-permeable filter to remove continuously forei n material from air passing through said cleaner under the action of said suction-creating means; a filt'er clea-ning nozzle mounted for movement relative toand in contact with the dirt colle'ctin'g surface of said filter to maintain theback-pressure on said suction-creating means substantially constant, air-conducting means connecting said nozzle to's'aid suction-creatin means to draw a filter-cleaning air stream therethrough, a planetary gear reduction mechanism driven bysa-idmotor; a slow speed eccentric cam driven by saidmechanism, a pivoted lever mounted on said nozzle for reciprocating movement by said cam, and a wedging foot pivoted on said lever for advancement on a rigid surface fixed relative to said filter upon the pivotal movement of said lever.

3. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a motor to drive said means, and an airpermeable cylindrical filter continuously to remove foreign material from air passing through said cleaner under the action of said suctioncreating means; a filter-cleaning nozzle mounted for slow speed movement relative toand over the dirt-collecting surface of said filter to maintain the back pressure on said suction-creating means substantially constant, air-conducting means connecting said nozzle to said suctioncreating means to draw a filter-cleaning air stream therethrough, a planetary gear reduction mechanism driven by the shaft of said motor, an eccentric cam driven at reduced speed by said mechanism and rotatable about the axis of said motor, a pivoted lever mounted for movement with said filter-cleaning nozzle and connected to said cam, a circular track fixed relative to said filter, and a ratchet foot pivotally mounted onsaid lever for frictional engagement with said track adapted to exert a lever-and-nozzlemoving force upon the pivotal movement of said lever under the actuation of said cam.

4. In a suction cleaner, an initial dirt separator, suction-creating means to draw a dirt-laden air stream into said initial separator and to draw substantially clean air therefrom, a final dirt separator of the type in which the back pressure increases with accumulation of dirt to receive air from said suction-creating means and remove therefrom all foreign material escaping from said initial separator, a motor to drive said suctioncreatlng means; movable dirt-collecting-and removing means to remove the foreign material from said final dirt separator including an air conduit directly connecting said means to said initial dirt separator, actuating means for said dirt-collecting-and-removing means comprising a planetary gear reduction mechanism driven by said motor, a cam driven at relatively slow speed by said mechanism, a lever pivoted on said dirt-collecting-and-removing means and movable therewith, said lever including a cam follower to effect the pivotal movement of said lever upon the movement of said cam, a track adjacent said final dirt separator, and means cooperating with said lever and said track to advance said dirt-collecting-and-removing means relative to said final dirt separator upon the pivotal movement of said lever.

5. In a suction cleaner, an initial dirt separator, suction-creating means to draw a dirt-laden air stream into said initial separator and to draw substantially clean air therefrom, a cylindrical final dirt separator including a filter to receive air from said suction-creating means and remove therefrom all foreign material escaping from said initial separator, and a motor to drive said suction-creating means; a filter-cleaning nozzle mounted for rotation about the axis of said motor and in contact with and over said filter; an air conduit connecting said filter-cleaning nozzle to said initial dirt separator, actuating means for said dirt-collecting-and-rem-oving means comprising a planetary gear reduction mechanism mounted on the shaft of said motor, a cam rotatable about said motor shaft and driven at relatively slow speed by said mechanism, a pivoted lever mounted on said nozzle for movement therewith relative to said final dirt separator and including a cam follower to eflect the pivotal movement of said lever upon the rotation of said cam, a track adjacent said final dirt separator, a pivoted ratchet foot carried by said lever in contact with said track and adapted to exert a nozzle-moving force on said lever upon the pivotal movement of said lever in one direction. DONALD G. SMELLIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 361,711 Nagel et a1. Apr. 26, 1887 403,798 Trautmann May 21, 1889 540,720 Clark June 11, 1895 802,974 Clark Oct. 31, 1905 1,213,427 Shepard Jan. 23, 1917 1,638,141 Bolling Aug. 9, 1927 1,641,902 Pitter Sept. 6, 1927 1,929,058 Enard Oct. 3, 1933 2,044,830 Carlstedt June 23, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 755,284 France Sept. 4, 1933 

